The factsheets, which cover canine chronic bronchitis, feline asthma and equine asthma, are designed to help explain complex conditions more effectively, encourage earlier diagnosis, and improve treatment compliance.
The downloadable factsheets can be printed, emailed to clients, or displayed in waiting areas and on waiting room screens.
Jon Slattery MRCVS, Director of BreathEazy, said: “We often see a seasonal spike in respiratory cases at this time of year, particularly in animals with underlying conditions.
"Having owners on board and confident in managing their pet’s condition is a key part of treatment success.
"These factsheets offer a time-saving way for vets and nurses to educate clients, reinforce advice given in consults, and help owners understand how to support their pets at home.”
https://mailchi.mp/breatheazy/resourcedownload
www.breatheazy.co.uk
The webinar was hosted by RCVS Senior Vice-President Dr Melissa Donald, with Standards Committee Chair and Junior Vice-President Linda Belton, Registrar Eleanor Ferguson, and Head of Standards Gemma Kingswell.
The panel gave an overview of the main changes for the guidance, which comes into effect on 1st September, the considerations to take into account when prescribing POM-Vs remotely, the circumstances under which POM-Vs cannot be prescribed remotely, the prescription of antibiotics, antifungals, antiparasitics, and antivirals, and how the guidance will be enforced.
The webinar also dealt with issues raised in a previous webinar, including a query about prescribing under the cascade and an update on the position when prescribing based on cultures and sensitivities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSTZKdbVD8g
For further information about the new guidance, including a range of practice-based scenarios and FAQs, visit: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/advice-and-guidance/under-care-new-guidance/
Questions about the under care guidance can be sent to advice@rcvs.org.uk
The College is seeking nominations this year for all six of its awards, all of which will be presented to the successful nominees at Royal College Day 2020, which will take place at 1 Great George Street in July 2020. These awards are:
The Queen’s Medal: the highest honour that can be bestowed upon a veterinary surgeon for a highly distinguished career with sustained and outstanding achievements throughout.
The Veterinary Nursing Golden Jubilee Award: for veterinary nurses who have had a sustained and distinguished career, who can demonstrate a leadership role within the profession and who can act as an ambassador for the value of veterinary nurses and their work.
RCVS International Award: for vets, vet nurses or laypeople who work internationally in making an outstanding contribution to, for example, raising veterinary standards, veterinary education and improving animal health and welfare.
RCVS Impact Award: for vets or vet nurses who have undertaken a project or initiative that has a significant impact on the profession at large, animal health or welfare, or public health. Such impact could have been made through any field of veterinary endeavour, including clinical practice, research, education or veterinary politics.
RCVS Inspiration Award: for vets or vet nurses at any stage of their career who have demonstrated the ability to inspire and enthuse others consistently throughout. It is open to those who have inspired and motivated individuals anywhere within the profession and recognises those who have gone ‘above and beyond’ what may normally be expected from a professional colleague.
Honorary Associateship: conferred on a small number of laypeople each year, in recognition of their special contribution to the veterinary sphere. It recognises the full range of individuals who contribute to the veterinary and animal health sector including scientists, lecturers, journalists, charity-workers, farriers, farmers and those involved in the commercial field.
Niall Connell, RCVS President for 2019-20, said: "2019 was particularly fruitful in terms of the number of nominations that we received for some of these awards, including the Queen’s Medal and the Impact and Inspiration Awards. In fact, those of us who had to compile the shortlist really struggled because of the sheer quality of the nominations we received and the people who were nominated.
"We hope that this will be repeated this year, and I would ask the profession to give some extra thought to making a nomination for Honorary Associateship, an award which is conferred on laypeople who are going above-and-beyond for animal welfare and the veterinary professions.
"In my veterinary career I have met many of these people: the biochemistry lecturers at vet school who gave me a passion for the science behind clinical veterinary medicine; the receptionists who were experts at talking to clients with empathy and kindness, often during distressing situations; and the volunteers who give up their precious free time to help with the smooth running of our PDSA hospital.
"I would urge everyone to have a think about who might be suitable for any of these awards, to find out more about making a nomination on the RCVS website."
To make a nomination, visit www.rcvs.org.uk/honours and click on the link for the specific award.
Applications can be made either through an online application form or by downloading a PDF application form and emailing or posting it to the RCVS.
The deadline for nominations is Friday 10 January 2020.
For an informal talk about the awards and how to make a nomination you can contact Susie Tomlin, Executive Secretary, on s.tomlin@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0761.
Photo: Dr Abdul-Jalil Mohammadzai, one of the recipients of the 2019 RCVS International Award, with the then RCVS President Amanda Boag
The talk, entitled “Rabbit Dentistry: It Takes Two”, will be co-presented by Craig Tessyman, an exotics veterinary nurse who works alongside Molly at Rutland House Referral Hospital. Their talk will cover the diagnosis and management of dental disease. It is aimed at any veterinary surgeon or nurse who wants to learn more about best practice in rabbit dentistry.
Molly, who holds both a Certificate and Diploma in Zoological Medicine, said: "Dental disease is common amongst pet rabbits, so small animal vets often need to diagnose and treat dental problems.
"It can be challenging to manage these cases. Our aim with this talk is to help vets improve their clinical approach, and also to provide useful tips for nurses – we want to explain how the practice team can work together with these cases, along our theme of ‘it takes two’."
Molly and Craig’s presentation will cover relevant background on the mechanisms of chewing in rabbits and provide practical advice on recognising and diagnosing dental disease. Physical examination and dental charting will be discussed, as well as dental radiography.
Molly said: "Radiography can be a really useful tool to assess dental disease in rabbits. Vets often aren’t as familiar with positioning and evaluating radiographs of rabbits as compared to cats and dogs, so we’ll give some useful tips on what to look out for."
Molly will share some advice on taking good dental radiographs, and then go into the details of interpretation, explaining how to use imaging to gain a more accurate diagnosis and enable more specific treatment. After this, she will discuss how best to plan and perform dental treatment. Incisor removal, cheek tooth extraction and pulpectomy are some of the topics she’ll cover.
The talk counts for 1 hour of CPD and will be held on 11th November at 12:20pm. Those who can’t make the live session can access a recording afterwards. More information and the sign-up link is available here: https://supremepetfoods.com/rabbit-dentistry-it-takes-two/.
The Suresign range consists of:
Shane Brewer, Veterinary Business Development Manager at CIGA Healthcare, said: "We are very excited to be branching out into the veterinary field with our very affordable veterinary rapid tests. With the recent increase in pet ownership over the previous year, it is important to offer vets and their clients an affordable alternative to the tests they are currently using."
Ciga says its tests are easy to perform and interpret, competitively priced and offer results in 5-10 minutes.
For more information (in due course), visit: www.suresignveterinary.com
The weekly sessions will offer practical guidance for veterinary surgeons and nurses about how they can manage chronic cases in line with guidelines issued by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the British Veterinary Association and the government.
Dechra’s Veterinary Technical Advisor Emily Casey BVM&S MRCVS will present the first webinar tackling Addison’s disease on Thursday April 2 from 1pm to 2pm and again from 7pm to 8pm. It will be available to watch again or download via the Dechra Academy.
It will include advice on how to stabilise patients and administer Zycortal while respecting government guidelines, including prioritisation of blood testing, use of telemedicine and provision of additional owner support. Each webinar represents one hour of CPD.
Dechra’s Technical Services Manager Jamie Walker said: “Since the outbreak of coronavirus began, we have received a large number of calls from practices wanting advice and guidance on how they should be managing chronic cases at this time.
"Our case management webinars will offer practical advice on a number of common small animal issues and aim to provide reassurance and support to veterinary professionals at this challenging time."
Further webinars will be held each Wednesday in April.
To register for the free webinars visit www.dechra.co.uk/events.
John (pictured right) will compete against leading businessmen and women from across the country and a range of industries in the 'Entrepreneur for Good' category, designed to celebrate entrepreneurs that are pioneering ideas and business models to help drive social change.
John founded Burns Pet Nutrition in 1993, with the thinking that a healthy diet is key to managing many of the common health problems seen in pets. In fact, John reckons he's done more for pets with his line of pet food than he could have ever hoped to have achieved in general practice.
In 2008, John set up The Burns Pet Nutrition Foundation - a charity dedicated to improving the lives of people and pets across the UK. Today, the in-house charity is run by a team of six who specialise in everything from one-off donations to grassroots projects.
One such project, Burns by Your Side, helps schoolchildren to improve their literacy and communication skills with the aid of trained volunteers and their companion dogs. The scheme is currently active in over 40 educational settings across parts of Wales and Ireland.
More recently, Burns Pet Nutrition announced a £1M charity donation to mark its 25th year of trading.
John said "I have decided that the company should be a force for good. I want Burns Pet Nutrition to not only be known for our natural pet food, but also for establishing and maintaining a legacy of good causes in the community."
John is in the running to win the Entrepreneur for Good award along with six other Welsh entrepreneurs. The winners will be announced on Thursday 22nd November at a special gala final in Cardiff.
For further information on the awards, please visit, www.greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com.
There are three awards on offer: two ruminant bursaries and one companion animal bursary. Applications must be in by 30th November 2018.
Each project should be completed within one to two years and the vet practitioner proposals will be judged by university academics to ensure independent assessment.
The companion animal research bursary will be assessed by the University of Nottingham Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine and the ruminant research bursary applications will be assessed by academic staff from the University of Bristol School of Veterinary Science.
Michelle Townley, veterinary advisor at MSD Animal Health (pictured right) said: "New knowledge and good research skills form the lifeblood of the industry so we’re keen to get as many applications as possible as part of our commitment to encouraging research in the veterinary industry."
For further details go to the MSD Animal Health Research Bursary website: www.msdahresearchbursary.co.uk.
Ceva Animal Health has launched Feliway Friends, a new pheromone to help reduce tensions and conflicts in households with more than one cat.
The company highlights a 2014 survey which found that 44% of cat owning households have more than one cat, with nearly a third of those questioned stating that they had experienced fighting and aggression between pets in the household1.
Feliway Friends is a synthetic copy of the cat appeasing pheromone (CAP) naturally produced by nursing queens to support their kittens after birth. The company says this pheromone helps cats feel safe and secure, and maintains a harmonious bond between them.
Ceva says Feliway Friends is clinically proven to significantly decrease the intensity and frequency of signs of tension in households with more than one cat. According to another study, 84% of cat owners believed there was a significant improvement in how their cats got on after using the product2.
Feliway Friends and Feliway Classic can be used at the same time if the owner is experiencing conflicts alongside other stress-related behaviour problems such as urine marking, scratch marking and general anxiety.
Available as a 30-day diffuser and refill, Feliway Friends lasts for up to 30 days and covers an area of up to 70m2.
Claire Russell, Feliway product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Inter-cat aggression is a major problem in multi-cat households, with many cats experiencing stress in the home due to sharing resources. Feliway Friends is a great support to encourage harmony in multi-cat homes. By introducing the cat appeasing pheromone and educating owners on resource management and how to create a cat friendly home, we can significantly improve feline relationships in our UK multi-cat homes.’’
Ceva Animal Health has launched a range of marketing materials to support the launch of the new product, including an eight-page pet owner leaflet and poster. Practices can also request an online toolkit which includes: images, website content, social media assets and articles to help educate clients facing aggression between household cats.
For information on FELIWAY visit www.feliway.com/uk.
References
Currently used by more than 200 practices and 50 universities around the world, the Equinosis Q is a diagnostic tool that can further aid the subjective lameness evaluation on all types of horses and ponies examined in the field or in hospital settings.
Christina Frigast, MRCVS, Eickemeyer Product Development Manager said: "The inertial sensors sample 20x faster than the human eye making the Equinosis Q a valuable tool to the veterinarian in the evaluation of subtle and multiple limb lameness.
"It does not interfere with the routine lameness examination as trot up on straight line, lunging and ridden evaluations can be performed on both hard and soft surfaces.
"Data is wirelessly streamed to a tablet PC and compiled into a reader-friendly report displaying the timing and severity of lameness. The effectiveness of diagnostic blocks can also be assessed with the Equinosis Q, providing the veterinarian with a percentage of improvement. In addition, comparison reports can be used to monitor rehabilitation progress."
Contact Eickemeyer to book a free demo, or for further information, visit: https://www.eickemeyer.co.uk/Diagnostics-and-Education/Anatomy-Models/Lameness-Locator-vet.html?listtype=search&searchparam=lameness
watch?v=MS6UXQSq6q0
The campaign, taking place in February, will underline that responsible use of antibiotics starts with newborn calves, lambs and piglets receiving the right amount of colostrum within a couple of hours of birth – something all farmers have the potential to achieve.
A number of organisations will be releasing information and promoting best practice throughout the month, mainly based around getting the 3Qs (quality, quantity and quickness) of colostrum delivery right.
The FarmAntibiotics.org information website will be signposting to these resources, as well as highlighting hints and tips for more effective colostrum management.
RUMA chairman Gwyn Jones says that as a farmer, he recognises the pressures at lambing and calving, and just how easy it can be to take shortcuts with the all-important first feed.
"But it was a wake-up call when I found out calves receiving insufficient colostrum at birth are more than twice as likely to develop respiratory disease, and can have mortality rates as high as 13%," he said.
"Too often we see the animal start to suck or we give it a feed, and don’t think about the actual quantity of colostrum it consumes immediately after birth.
"All these factors have an enormous impact on the levels of antibodies in the bloodstream 24 hours later, and on the subsequent health of the animal and its need for antibiotic treatment during its whole life.
"Better colostrum management is an incredible opportunity – not just to ensure better health for the future, but to cut antibiotic use and produce a more valuable animal for onward rearing."
Research manager Dr Jenny Gibbons from AHDB says their recent 'Calf to Calving' campaign focusing on youngstock rearing has seen nearly 40% of attendees go on to buy equipment to test the quality of colostrum.
Jenny said: "With recent figures from the Royal Veterinary College indicating just 31% of dairy farmers have been testing the quality of the colostrum before feeding it, this uptake is good news.
"Another area to tackle is time of feeding. Only 5% are feeding within the ideal two hours after birth. Changing these practices would make a huge difference to calves for onward beef rearing as well as replacement heifers."
Specialist sheep vet Dr Fiona Lovatt says lambs receiving insufficient colostrum at birth is behind one of the sheep industry’s biggest antibiotic use 'hotspots', in what is otherwise a low-use sector.
She said: "It’s largely avoidable. The reality is that we simply don’t see Watery Mouth in lambs that have taken sufficient colostrum on board in that golden 24-hour window immediately after birth."
Fiona says a 5kg lamb at birth needs 1 litre of colostrum in its first 24 hours of life to give it essential levels of natural immunity, but importantly, the first feed should be within two hours of birth.
"Antibodies – essential in protecting against all disease including E coli infections – cannot cross through the placenta, so must be transferred through colostrum.
"While thin ewes or those that are not well fed in the run-up to lambing will produce too little colostrum of low quality, more often it’s simply not getting enough colostrum into the lamb quickly enough after birth."
Fiona says the sheep sector should not be relying on use of preventative antibiotics – because of image but also the very real problem of antibiotic resistance. "We know from government data that 50% of neonatal lamb E coli are already resistant to spectinomycin, the most commonly used dose. We need to protect these antibiotics, or we will lose them."
Veterinary lead at AHDB and pig specialist Dr Mandy Nevel says baby pigs need colostrum too, to maintain body temperature as well as protect them against disease.
Mandy said: "Baby pigs are born wet and with very little energy reserve. Ideally they need to get a feed in within the first 30 minutes to prevent hypothermia. This early feed will also provide essential immunity, giving them the best chance of survival in their first few weeks of life.
"Sow vaccination is the best way to boost antibody levels in the colostrum. That is why piglets who receive good levels of colostrum early will also be the healthiest at weaning. That extra care in the first hours of life will really make a difference."
Mandy includes post-weaning diarrhoea and respiratory disease as longer term threats for piglets receiving insufficient colostrum at birth. "Colostrum really is a golden opportunity to secure lower antibiotic use and a healthier animal for its whole life."
Veterinary surgeons and farmers looking for more information should search for the #ColostrumIsGold hashtag on Twitter, or go to the FarmAntibiotics.org website to be signposted to tools, resources and case studies from 1 February.
The RCVS is holding a session at the London Vet Show on Saturday 23rd October from 8:30am-9:30am to provide guidance and advice concerning the work your nursing team does in practice.
As the RCVS says, the recent Panorama programme "It shouldn't happen at a vets'" was a stark reminder of the importance of ensuring that all practice staff are working within the appropriate legal framework.
The session will answer such questions as:
Because of the early start, the RCVS is providing breakfast from 8:15am, though I wouldn't get your hopes up for eggs benedict and freshly smoked Loch Fyne kippers.
The RCVS says the session will be relevant for all members of the practice team, but that if you can't make the session, they will be on hand to discuss VN legislation on stand M26.
The College of Animal Welfare has opened a business school at its training and education centre in Chord Business Park in Godmanchester.
CAW Business School provides accountancy courses accredited by the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and leadership and management courses accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).
Leslie Heaton Smith, Director at The College of Animal Welfare, said: "The opening of our Business School is a new development in a long line of achievements and marks an exciting new venture. Whilst our focus has always been towards developing technical animal and veterinary related knowledge and skills to make significant improvements in animal welfare and veterinary care, we also recognise that quality of care is also highly dependent on the management and leadership of those controlling and investing the organisation's often scarce resources. Thus in order to provide high quality welfare to animals entrusted into their care, organisations need to be able to employ people with such skills".
The leadership and management courses are already underway and can be studied entirely online, or online with study weekends.
The College says the majority of AAT courses will start in September 2013, however an 8 week Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping course starts at the beginning of June. The College is also an AAT approved exam centre, meaning that students can sit their exams whilst at college.
For further information, call the College on 01480 422060 and speak to one of the Business School tutors. Alternatively, visit www.caw.ac.uk or book a place on the next open day on Wednesday 22 May from 9am-12pm or 6-9pm.
Norbrook Laboratories Ltd has relaunched its website with a focus on veterinary technical support, farmers and pet owners, and a new online recruitment system.
The new site has sections dedicated specifically to farm animal, equine and pet healthcare. Norbrook says each section will feature articles and information on relevant issues in addition to help and support for the company's animal health pharmaceutical product ranges.
Alanna Carty, European Marketing Director said: "Animal Healthcare is a massive area within which there are a range of very different users and requirements. On our new website, we have categorised three specific groups - Farm Animals, Horses and small companion animals or pets. Users can now easily navigate directly to the specific area they are interested in and obtain the information they need in an instant. In addition, we have included articles and information on relevant topics eg Bovine Respiratory Disease or Arthritis in cats and dogs which will help animal health carers to keep abreast of key issues in what is a fast-changing environment"
The new site also incorporates a Veterinary Technical Support section dedicated to veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and practice managers. Alanna said: "Time is a precious commodity for veterinary surgeons and nurses. They need information on drugs and treatments as quickly as possible and our new website has been designed to meet this need. Our quick search allows vets and assistants to quickly identify products they may wish to use and our full Product Compendium is also available online."
The site also includes a new online recruitment section which aims to streamline the process for the 3000 or so applications the company currently receives each year.
Mrs Louise Kirk, Head of Personnel said: "The beauty of the online recruitment system is that it makes life easier for everyone involved in the process. Applicants have more time to complete the application form because they can begin online as soon as they become aware of the advertised position. They can begin to complete the form, save it and return to it or amend it until they are happy to submit it, at which point they receive a confirmation email and a pdf copy of their application form. However the system also allows for the form to be downloaded and posted to applicants who are unable to use the online system."
www.norbrook.com
Consultations are delivered online using video conferencing software, with the aim being to provide an immediate diagnosis and treatment plan. However, if a diagnosis cannot be made remotely, or the situation requires intensive medical or surgical intervention, Optivet offers non-contact clinical facilities in Hampshire, London and the Isle of Wight, or will recommend other, closer ophthalmology facilities if necessary.
Optivet says it has the medical and surgical expertise to deal with any ongoing issues and follow-up is provided remotely wherever possible.
Rob Lowe, RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology and founder of Optivet, said: “We have come up with an innovative, non-contact ophthalmology solution for both the present and the future. Optivet’s response time and immediate availability of an ophthalmology specialist is unmatched in the UK.
"Once you become a client, you become part of the Optivet family. Our amazing team will work with you throughout the patient journey to provide the highest level of care.”
For more information, visit: remote.optivet.com
Vetoquinol UK has launched Dolpac®, its new wormer for dogs.
Dolpac® is a broad spectrum anthelmintic for dogs containing pyrantel, oxantel and praziquantel. Individually these ingredients are effective against individual worm species and the combination of all three provides specific activities against the most common roundworm and tapeworm species.
According to the company, clinical studies carried out in accordance with internationally recognised guidelines have shown that Dolpac® provides an excellent ability to reduce parasitic infection.
“Dolpac® offers vets and their clients an easy to use worming alternative at an affordable price,” explains Mark Leddy, Vetoquinol’s Marketing Department Manager. “Our aim is to help to increase the number of dog owners worming their pets at the correct frequency, which will not only protect their dogs, but their children as well. We have introduced a number of features to help achieve this objective, there are three tablet sizes to cover all weight ranges and the tablets are flavoured and easy to give, and there are dispensing envelopes in every pack. We also provide a dosing wall chart and a client worming guide.”
For more information, contact your Vetoquinol representative or visit the Dolpac website, http://www.dolpac.co.uk/, which offers information for both vets and clients.
Kate said: "In recent days we have watched the unfolding events in Ukraine in horror, shock and with tremendous sadness.
"We are determined to offer as much help and support as we can to our Ukrainian veterinary colleagues fleeing this crisis and seeking refuge in the UK.
To that end, the College offers a financial support scheme for refugees which is immediately available for Ukrainian veterinary surgeons with refugee status.
The scheme enables refugee vets to take the RCVS Statutory Examination for free, offers financial support to attend exams, free access to the RCVS library and free membership of BSAVA, BVA, BEVA, BCVA and VMG.
In addition, whilst Russian-based business interests comprise less than 0.1% of the College's investment portfolio, it has instructed its fund managers to get rid of all Russian investments at the very earliest opportunity.
Meanwhile, veterinary dentist Bob Partridge has donated a day's takings from his Harrogate-based, Specialist-led small animal dental referral practice, VetDentist, to the British Red Cross Ukraine.
He said: "I got home late and exhausted, turned on the news, and knew that my “tough day” was as nothing compared to the troubles, the fear and the pain experienced by the people of Ukraine."
Other members of Bob's team followed suit, as did the team at Training-Progress, and they hope others will do the same.
Bob said: "Please put your money where your mouth (or keyboard) is!"
https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-crisis-appeal
Photo: CC BY-SA 2.0 Aleksej Leonov
For the study, researchers from the RVC’s VetCompass Programme identified 2,105 hypothyroidism cases diagnosed amongst a study population of 905,553 UK dogs.
This revealed an annual frequency of one case in 400 dogs (0.23%) for the condition, with the most common breeds diagnosed being Standard Doberman Pinschers (x 17.02), Tibetan Terriers (x11.25), Boxers (x10.44) and Alaskan Malamutes (x 9.71).
The average age at first diagnosis was 7.65 years.
Other findings included:
Dr Rebecca Geddes, Lecturer in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the RVC Queen Mother Hospital for Animals and last author of the paper, said: “It is great to have this data from UK primary care practices, which will help highlight high risk breeds to veterinary surgeons so they can diagnose and treat affected dogs as early as possible. Hypothyroidism is usually straightforward to manage with medication that can greatly improve quality of life in affected dogs.”
Reference
Researchers say that whilst widely discussed, many in the profession may not be aware that prevalence of the disease has been steadily increasing across all regions of the UK.
Since November 2012, 177 cases have been reported, with more than 90% between November and May. However, the cause of CRGV, which often presents as ulcerations to the dog’s skin and can lead to acute kidney injury (AKI) and potentially death, remains unknown.
Practices are being now asked to report suspect cases in a bid to gain vital insight into the disease and what may be causing it.
David Walker BVetMed (Hons) DipACVIM DipECVIM-CA from Anderson Moores (pictured right) is helping lead the research: "CRGV is a disease that impacts lots of breeds across the UK. Reports show there is seasonality to the disease and therefore an environmental cause is a possible component in its development.
"This research is part of the puzzle and will hopefully help to guide further work on this disease. By collecting more information on confirmed cases, such as walking habits and diet, we hope to build more understanding in order to better protect pets and inform treatment decisions."
To gather this information, Anderson Moores is asking practices to share a 10-minute online survey with the owners of dogs in which CRGV has been confirmed, as well as some control dogs following criteria provided with the survey link.
David said: "Many pet owners are aware of this disease and are concerned for their pets; if they are asked to help they are usually happy to do so. By offering a direct link to the survey, very little of the veterinarian’s time is needed to collate the information."
If you have a suspected case of CRGV, contact Anderson Moores on 01962 767920 or email medicine@andersonmoores.com
If the pet does not survive, then histopathologic assessment of tissue will be performed free of charge to confirm the diagnosis.
In confirmed cases the veterinary surgeon will be sent a link to a 10-minute survey to be completed by the owner.
Along with encouraging the owner of the confirmed case to take part, four unaffected control cases from the same clinic, on the same day, will also need to be recruited.
When a set of five qualifying surveys (one confirmed case and 4 control cases) are provided, practices can claim an Amazon Echo Dot, provided by Bayer, as a thank you for helping with the research.
The clinic will be headed up by Dr Ursula Dietrich, an RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology, who will be stepping down as senior lecturer in veterinary ophthalmology at The Royal Veterinary College to take up her new post.
Ursula has held a number of prestigious positions including Chair of the Scientific Committee of European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists from 2007-2012, member of the Examination Committee of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists from 2002-2006 and Associate Editor (Ophthalmology) of the Journal of Small Animal Practice since 2012-18. She also holds Diplomas from the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Opthalmologists.
Ursula said: “I am thrilled to take on this new role, heading up The London Cat Clinic’s new opthalmology centre. The clinic is doing wonderful things in feline veterinary care as the largest specialist practice devoted solely to cats in the UK. The ophthalmology service is the next exciting development in achieving our goal of being a centre of excellence in feline veterinary medicine."
London Cat Clinic Founder, Dr Jeremy Campbell, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dr Dietrich to the team, as she brings with her a wealth of experience in the field of feline ophthalmology. She will be a wonderful asset to The London Cat Clinic, as we embark on an exciting new chapter.”
For more information about referring a case to The London Cat Clinic, visit: https://www.thelondoncatclinic.co.uk/
Under the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct veterinary surgeons are expected to demonstrate that they are keeping their skills and knowledge up-to-date by engaging in at least 105 hours of CPD over a rolling three-year period.
As part of the auditing process the 1,071 vets will be asked to share their CPD records for 2014 to 2016, either by allowing the College to access their online Professional Development Record or by sending the College a copy of their CPD record card.
The audit will focus on six groups:
The College says that if any of the veterinary surgeons who have been audited are found to be non-compliant they will be asked to explain why and send a plan stating how they will make up the hours in order to become compliant.
The deadline for sharing records is Tuesday 31 October 2017.
As part of the auditing process the College is reminding veterinary surgeons that CPD encompasses a wide range of recorded activities, which can be clinical or non-clinical, including private reading/study, webinars, mentoring, clinical audit and discussion groups as well as attending seminars and workshops.
Don't forget that reading content and participating in forum discussions on VetSurgeon.org can count towards your annual requirement, using the 'Claim CPD' feature at the top of each page.
Those with any questions about the auditing process or what constitutes CPD can contact Jenny Soreskog-Turp, RCVS Education Officer, on cpd@rcvs.org.uk.
They say this approach could lead to a reduction in the number of vaccines that need to be administered to each bird.
Vaccines that target multiple diseases are in high demand due to the many viruses that can circulate simultaneously in flocks. Protecting against the most dangerous diseases with one vaccine could reduce overall vaccination costs for poultry producers and decrease the number of times that birds need to be handled.
The researchers demonstrated that a gene editing system called CRISPR/cas9 can be used to insert a gene of the IBD virus into the currently used Marek’s disease vaccine virus. The added genetic material protects poultry against IBD in addition to the protection already offered by the Marek’s disease vaccine, meaning that bird owners would only need to use one vaccine instead of two.
Other vaccines generated by conventional methods can achieve a similar result, but by using the CRISPR/cas9 system the Pirbright researchers say they have been able to insert the IBD gene far more quickly, easily and accurately than the methods that have been used before. This will significantly reduce the time needed to generate new vaccines.
Professor Venugopal Nair, joint leader of the research at Pirbright said: "The method we have created with CRISPR/cas9 really increases the scope of how we edit the Marek’s disease vaccine to include other virus components. Now we have shown that the gene-edited vaccine protects against both Marek’s disease and IBD, we are looking at inserting more genes from other viruses."
The team intend to generate a vaccine that will be able to protect against multiple avian diseases and will next target two high consequence poultry viruses - avian influenza virus and the Newcastle disease virus. The flexibility of the new method also means that as the viruses evolve, the vaccine virus can be easily edited to include new genes which protect against emerging strains.
The Pirbright Institute says there has been huge commercial interest in using this technology to develop novel vaccines, so it intends to partner vaccine manufacturing companies to bring CRISPR/cas9 edited vaccines to market.
This scientific paper can be found in the Vaccine journal and was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC); grant numbers BB/P016472/1 BB/L014262/1.
Photo: Cells infected with the Marek's disease vaccine virus, HVT, (green) expressing the inserted infectious bursal disease virus gene, VP2 (red). Cell nuclei are shown in blue. © Dr Na Tang, The Pirbright Institute 2018.
The surveys, which are part of Abi's honours research project, ask veterinary professionals and owners separately to place 'ability to see the same vet', 'staff friendliness', 'competency of vets and nurses', 'appointment availability' and 'appointment waiting times' in order of importance.
It also looks at whether veterinary professionals and owners think practice independence and nurses' clinics have an impact on client loyalty.
The surveys should take less than 10 minutes, and Abi has promised to share the results with VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk in due course, so please do take part. It'll be fascinating to see whether there's a mismatch between what vets and nurses think are important, and what clients think!
The survey for veterinary professionals is here.
If you know any owners that would be interested in taking part, the survey for clients is here.
Companion Care Vets has launched a Graduate Development Programme to develop veterinary graduates into future partners in the business.
According to the company, seven graduates have so far joined the scheme. Five are from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, one is from The Royal Veterinary College in London and one studied at the Univesitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Each has gone through a rigorous recruitment process devised by the Companion Care Vets HR team, and will be placed in one of the groups established surgeries, where the company will give them an understanding of the entire business from clinical to personal, commercial to management.
Jane Balmain, Managing Director of Companion Care Vets said: "One of my ambitions for Companion Care Vets is to ensure we play a significant role in developing standards in the veterinary profession and I believe that supporting talented veterinary graduates is key to this.
"Our rapidly expanding business is passionate about providing the highest level of pet healthcare and client service and we are proud to be able to help veterinary professionals realise their ambitions and full potential."
Placements last three years, during which Companion Care says each of the graduates will be closely mentored and their clinical learning will follow the framework developed by the RCVS as part of their Professional Development phase. Business support will be given via secondment to Companion Care's support services departments and theory based learning. All graduates are placed in practice from day one, building on their clinical experience.
One of the graduates, Katie Denholm said: "This graduate programme is a brilliant opportunity for me to put what I have learnt at University into practice. What really excited me was the modern surgeries, opportunity to be really hands-on and the added business-advice that will help me to realise my dream of one day, and I hope in the not too distant future, becoming a partner in my own practice."
Katie has been placed at Companion Care Vet's Chelmsford surgery, where veterinary surgeon and Joint Venture Partner Simone Dent said: "This scheme is a fantastic opportunity for graduates to gain all important clinical experience alongside the commercial aspects of a veterinary career. Being a vet these days affords enormous opportunities to build a successful business that provides satisfaction, financial reward and work-life balance. Katie will be given every opportunity to blossom as an integral part of our team learning, and having fun, every step of the way."
To find out more about the Graduate Development Programme please visit www.ccvets.co.uk or email graduates@companioncare.co.uk
The RCVS has removed 563 veterinary surgeons from the Register from 1 June for non-payment of retention fees.
A list of those who remained off the Register as of 31 July 2012 is available here: www.rcvs.org.uk/removals2012.
The College says it is publicising the list to help make sure that those who have been removed, and their employers, are aware; it includes only those not restored prior to 31 July.
Christine Fraser, RCVS Head of Registration said: “If you know anyone who appears on this list and who is still working in the UK, you may wish to advise them they need to contact the RCVS as a matter of urgency to restore their name to the Register."
The RCVS is asking veterinary surgeons who have not yet confirmed their registration details, which is now part of the annual renewal process, to please make sure this is done by 30 September. A form was enclosed with the annual fee-reminder, or this can be done online at www.rcvs.org.uk/registration.
Information about how veterinary surgeons removed after non-payment can restore themselves to the Register is available at www.rcvs.org.uk/registration, or by contacting the RCVS Registration Department (membership@rcvs.org.uk or 0207 202 0707).